All eyes on Gaurav Banerjee to steer Sony’s content ship
The onboarding of Gaurav Banerjee as the new CEO of Sony is expected to drive the network out of rough waters and improve ratings of its flagship Hindi general entertainment channel SET India. Gaurav Banerjee’s stints at Star India (now Disney Star) and his role with the entertainment portfolio has earned him the reputation as an expert in strategising content. He is now expected to take Culver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd (CMEPL) to new heights in terms of content quality on both linear and digital platforms.
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Industry observers are quite excited about Banerjee’s leadership in Sony, with some expecting improvement in the dropped ratings of some of its channels.
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A senior official close to the development, who did not wish to be named, said the network has been very positive about Banerjee’s takeover and is hopeful of seeing better content under his leadership. “The mood in the company is good. N P Singh’s exit has been accepted gracefully as it was already anticipated. The new CEO is the master of content so there is a lot of hope that he will change the way things are. Better content will lead to better ratings too,” said the official. Another senior industry observer said: “Sony has been strong in the non-fiction space compared to fiction. Since Banerjee’s expertise is fictional shows, his coming to Sony will benefit the network on the fiction side, which has not been its strong forte.” This year has been eventful for Sony starting with the termination of the merger deal with Zee, followed by various litigations, the resignation of N P Singh who led the network for a decade, and now the appointment of Banerjee as the CEO. Under Banerjee’s leadership at Star India, the network had launched successful shows leading the charts, both on linear TV and digital. As Head of the Hindi Content Studio, he launched a remarkable slate of shows that has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the category. Regional content has been Banerjee’s strength. He has launched several regional shows and expanded the network's presence in Bengal and Maharashtra with channels like Star Jalsha and Star Pravah, the former quickly becoming India's top Bengali language channel. One of the groundbreaking TV series, which is running successfully in its fourth year, is Anupama. It was launched under Banerjee's leadership at Disney Star and became an instant hit right after its launch in 2020. It was the top-rated show in Hindi GEC Urban. This is an adaptation of the Bengali show ‘Sreeymoyi’ on Star Jalsha and the Marathi show ‘Aai Kuthe Kay Karte!’ on Star Pravah. Despite a drop in Anupama’s TRP, as per May viewership data, the show remains on top across Hindi GEC with 2.3 points. Other shows that are a feather in Banerjee’s hat include Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein and Imlie. His other contributions to Disney+ Hotstar include originals like the Emmy-nominated Aarya, Special Ops, The Freelancer, and The Night Manager. Banerjee, who was appointed Head of Content Strategy at Star Plus in 2009, played a crucial role in the success of cult shows such as Diya Aur Baati Hum and Sasural Genda Phool, which in turn helped Star Plus reclaim leadership in 2010. He is also the man behind the successful show ‘P.O.W.- Bandi Yudh Ke’, a Hindi adaptation of an Israeli show in the same format. The question is - will Banerjee’s touch now weave wonders for Sony? As per BARC data for week 25, Sony’s SET does not feature in the top ten channels list. Sony SAB, however, has ranked fifth this week. As earlier reported by exchange4media, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has seen a significant decline in recent years, with GRPs dropping from 90-100 to around 70. The decline has been attributed to factors like saturation of reality shows, lack of innovation in programming, and the growing preference for on-demand streaming platforms over traditional television. Despite owning popular reality shows like KBC and Indian Idol, Sony TV's non-fiction programming is struggling to retain viewership. Additionally, the shift of viewers towards digital platforms like YouTube has further affected Sony TV's viewership. This is where Banerjee’s expertise in Hindi & English Movies, Kids & Infotainment & Regional (East), is expected to turn things around. As General Manager in 2013, he propelled Star Plus to industry dominance with shows like Mahabharat and Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. In 2015, he led the Content Studio, refreshing storytelling for Star Plus and Star Bharat, and enhancing Disney+ Hotstar's library with acclaimed content, including Hotstar Specials. For more updates, be socially connected with us on
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Tags : Gaurav Banerjee Sony Np Singh